If you’re drowning in a list of company names from your website and don’t know where to start, you’re not alone. Lead tracking tools spit out a ton of data. But unless you sort the signal from the noise, you’ll just end up chasing your tail. This guide is for B2B sales pros, marketers, and anyone using LeadFeeder who wants to actually get value from tags—without creating a mess or yet another “system” nobody uses.
Why Tags Matter (and When They Don't)
Tags sound simple. Add a label, sort your leads, job done—right? Sort of. Tags can help you:
- Quickly see which leads need action (or can be ignored)
- Create custom lead views for your sales team
- Automate follow-up or reporting
- Spot patterns in what’s working
But tags can also get out of hand. If you just tag everything, or let everyone make up their own tags, things get messy fast. You end up with “Hot,” “hot lead,” “🔥 Hot,” and nobody knows what’s what.
Bottom line: Tags are only useful if they’re simple, consistent, and tied to how you actually work. This guide will walk you through setting them up the right way.
Step 1: Decide What You Want to Organize
Before you start clicking, figure out what you actually care about. Don’t just tag for the sake of tagging.
Ask yourself:
- What types of leads does my team need to see right away?
- What info would help us qualify faster?
- Where do leads get stuck or fall through the cracks?
- What’s a “deal-breaker” vs. “nice to have”?
Common things to tag:
- Lead status: New, Contacted, Qualified, Disqualified
- Lead type: Existing customer, Prospect, Partner, Competitor
- Priority: High, Medium, Low (but be honest—don’t make everything “High”)
- Source or campaign: If you care which campaign brought them in
- Follow-up action: Needs call, needs demo, needs nurturing
Pro tip: Don’t go overboard. Start with 5-10 tags max. You can always add more later.
Step 2: Set Up Your Tagging System in LeadFeeder
Now that you have your shortlist, it’s time to put it into action.
How to Add and Manage Tags
- Create Tags: In LeadFeeder, you can add tags manually to each company, or in bulk from your leads list. There’s no “tag manager” section, so you build your list as you go.
- Be Consistent: Decide on exact spelling and capitalization (“Qualified” not “qualified”), and let your team know. Consider keeping a quick cheat sheet in Slack or Notion.
- Avoid Duplicates: If you spot similar tags (e.g., “Demo” and “Needs Demo”), merge them. Consistency beats creativity here.
- Limit Personal Tags: If you’re not the only person using LeadFeeder, get buy-in from the team. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a mess.
Pro tip: Some CRMs auto-sync tags from LeadFeeder. Decide if you want that, or if you’d rather keep them separate.
Step 3: Tag Your Existing Leads
It’s tempting to start fresh, but most sales teams already have a backlog. Here’s how to get a handle on it without wasting hours:
- Bulk Tag Obvious Cases: Filter your leads by something clear (like location or company size) and bulk tag them.
- Tag as You Touch: Whenever a lead comes up in your workflow (calls, emails, etc.), tag it then. Don’t try to do it all at once.
- Ignore Old, Cold Leads: If nobody’s touched it in 6 months, don’t stress about tagging it—move on.
Pro tip: If you inherit a messy tag list, clean it up as you go. You don’t need to fix the past all at once.
Step 4: Use Tags to Build Smart Lead Views
Now the fun part: actually doing something with your tags.
- Create Saved Filters: In LeadFeeder, you can filter leads by tag and save those views. For example: “Qualified + Needs Demo,” or “High Priority + Not Contacted.”
- Set Up Notifications: If you want, get notified when a new lead matches a certain tag combo (like “Enterprise + New”).
- Share Views with the Team: Make sure everyone knows where to find the important lists. Don’t keep everything private.
What works: - Focusing on a handful of “must-see” views (e.g., hot prospects this week) - Using tags to route leads to the right salespeople
What doesn’t: - Making a saved view for every tag combo under the sun - Relying only on tags for lead assignment (use other filters too, like location or size)
Step 5: Keep Your Tags Useful (and Actually Used)
Even the best system gets messy if you don’t maintain it. A few tips:
- Review Tags Monthly: Delete tags nobody uses. Merge duplicates.
- Train New Team Members: Show them what tags mean, and when to use each.
- Automate Where You Can: If you use integrations (like with your CRM), set up rules to auto-tag leads based on source, actions, or other fields. But check that it’s working—automation can create junk if you’re not careful.
- Don’t Make It Someone’s Full-Time Job: If keeping tags organized takes more than a few minutes a week, your system’s too complicated.
What to Ignore (and What to Watch Out For)
- Don’t tag everything: If you’re not using a tag to sort, assign, or follow up, you probably don’t need it.
- Avoid “vanity” tags: Labels like “Great Fit” or “Exciting” might feel good, but mean nothing if they don’t drive action.
- Watch for “tag drift”: Teams love to invent new tags (“Potential 2025,” “Maybe Next Year”)—most of these just become clutter.
- Be careful with emojis: They’re cute, but they don’t sort well and can get messy fast.
Pro Tips for Tagging in LeadFeeder
- Think about reporting: If you’ll run reports based on tags, keep them simple and standardized.
- Don’t use tags as a dumping ground for notes: Use the comments or notes feature for details. Tags should be “yes/no” or at-a-glance labels.
- If in doubt, leave it out: You can always add a tag later. Removing unnecessary tags is much harder.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
The best tag system is the one your team actually uses. Start small, stick to what matters, and clean up as you go. Don’t sweat being perfect—just avoid letting things spiral out of control. Revisit your tags every month or two, kill off what isn’t working, and don’t be afraid to change things up.
If you keep it simple and focus on action, LeadFeeder tags can actually help you work smarter—not just add more busywork.